Providing Refuge
by BondWoman007
Summary: Jack reveals what is going through his mind as he makes the decision to become a scab. He also remembers his first visit to The Refuge and we find out what goes on behind those dark walls. - Rated T for violence and abuse - This is my first fanfic! Please review and let me know what you think and I'll post additional chapters.
1. Chapter 1

As you all know, I don't own any of these characters... This is my first fanfiction so please be patient as I try to figure it all out. Here is a bit of an introduction to what is to come. The story starts at the point where Jack is leaving Pulitzer's place after Pulitzer tried to get him to quit the strike.

!********************!

Jack began running, taking the opportunity that David had given him to get away. He heard men chasing them and then heard Pulitzer yell, "You can't run away from me, boy! You have people you care about and you won't be able to save them all. I will get you one way or another!"

As the words sank in, he stopped running. Confused, David slowed down as well and looked back at him, "What's wrong, Jack? Come on! We have to get out of here!" Jack just leaned against the alley wall, slowly sinking down until he sat with his head in his hands. He thought about David, and Sarah, and their little brother Les. He couldn't let anything happen to them. They were too innocent to be able to survive the horrors of The Refuge. Then he stood up and started pounding the wall with his fists. When had he started to care for them? It was so much easier when he only cared for himself, when he only had to decide what was best for him. You can't survive on the streets if you let your feelings control you!

"Jack! What has gotten into you? We need to keep running!" David yelled at him.

Jack turned around and looked at him, and David could see a hint of tears in his eyes. "I can't, Davey. If I keep running, they will start trying to hurt you in order to get to me."

"I don't care! I can handle it. If they even catch me... We need you to keep the strike going. The guys are depending on you!" By this point, David had grabbed Jack's hand and was trying to pull him through the alley.

Jack just shook him off, "No! You don't understand, Davey. They won't just go after you, they will try to hurt Sarah and Les too! They would be arrested and put in The Refuge. You don't understand what that place is like, what they do to you there. Your brother and sister wouldn't survive. I don't think you would even survive, at least not without it changing you." By this point, Jack was yelling. Partly he was just trying to get his point across, but mostly he was just angry about the decision he was having to make. He took a deep breath trying to keep the memories of The Refuge at bay. Slowly he slid to the ground once again. And in a much quieter voice said, "Davey, you had better get going. They will be here any minute."

David slowly started backing away, torn between saving his friend from this horrible fate and protecting his family. Making his decision, he turned around and began running. He resolved that he wouldn't let Jack's sacrifice be for naught, and he would take whatever opportunity presented itself to get his friend freed.

Jack watched David run away, and let one tear escape as he succumbed to the memories of his previous stay in The Refuge...


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is set a few years back when Jack was 12 and tells how he ended up in The Refuge the first time.

!****************************!

Jack was hungry. He hadn't eaten in three days. Pape sales hadn't been good lately and he had been using all of his money just to buy more papes each day. He didn't know how much longer he could go on like this. He needed to find some food. As he was walking down the street, he saw a vendor selling some day old bread. It was like he went crazy. The only thing he could think of was that bread. Before he knew it, he had run up, grabbed a loaf of bread and was running. Unfortunately, he had been so obsessed with the bread that he hadn't noticed the cop standing nearby and ran straight into him.

"I've got you now boy!" the cop said gruffly.

"Let me go! I didn't do nothing!" Jack tried to squirm away, but the cop just gripped his arm tighter.

"Oh no you don't. I saw you steal that bread that you are hiding under your jacket. You're coming with me, boy." With that, the cop pulled his arms behind his back and slapped handcuffs around his wrists.

Dejectedly, Jack walked along beside the cop, occasionally jogging a couple of steps as his arm was roughly jerked. He hoped that the judge would be lenient on him. It was only a loaf of bread after all! And he couldn't have helped it...he was starving. Maybe the judge would let him get by with a warning. Before he knew it, the cop was pulling him through the doors of the courthouse. A few minutes later he was standing in front of the judge, listening to the cop explain what happened.

The judge looked down at him, "What's your name boy?"

"Francis Sullivan, sir. Though most people just call me Jack."

"Well, Francis, do you admit to stealing a loaf of bread?"

Jack decided it wouldn't do any good to argue, "Yes, sir. But I was really hungry! And it was just a small loaf." Jack stopped trying to defend himself when the cop roughly shook him.

"I'm sentencing you to three months in The Refuge," the judge said as he slammed his gavel down. And with that, the cop was pulling him away.

When they arrived at the gates of The Refuge, Jacks stomach started cramping. He figured it could be because he was so hungry, but he guessed it was more likely because of how imposing the gates looked. And it didn't help that he all the sudden started remembering all the horror stories he had heard about this place.

"Well, what do we have here?" the guard at the gate sneered at Jack as he began opening the gates. "It looks like someone got himself in a big of a jam." The guard chuckled as he took Jack's arm. The cop unlocked the cuffs and walked away. He was now in the custody of The Refuge. He decided right then and there that he wouldn't give in. He could either give in and let them destroy him, or he could put on a brave front and not let them see his fear or pain.

The guard began shoving him along towards the building. "You're gonna love it here boy. You will get fed and a have a nice dry bed. You probably won't want to leave!" With another chuckle, he opened the door and shoved Jack through. He was then directed towards a room on the right. "Go in there and present yourself to the warden," the guard said and shoved him towards the door.

Jack thought about knocking, but then decided that the best way to show his defiance would be to just walk right in. He turned the handle and walked in. He saw the warden sitting behind his desk, writing a letter. When he heard the door open, the warden looked up, surprised. "How dare you come in uninvited, you little bastard?" the warden growled at him.

"The guard told me to present myself to you. So here I am." Jack said defiantly.

"Well, well, it appears that you need to be taught some manners. Any boy who has been here for any amount of time knows I am not to be bothered for any reason. As you are new here I will be lenient and only add one more month to your sentence. Make sure it does not happen again. Now, what is your name, boy?"

"I go by the name Jack Kelly" Jack said as he glared at the warden. "And an extra month don't scare me neither. I ain't got nothin better to be doing," he said with a smirk.

"You insolent bastard! You will learn that staying here may not be as pleasant as you might think. I believe that a few days in solitary might begin teach you that lesson." The warden stood up and walked around his desk towards Jack. He grabbed Jack by the ear and drug him out the door. "I will show you to your new room."

Jack's ear was feeling quite painful, but he refused to let out even the slightest noise. As he was being drug through the halls, he glanced in a few of the rooms they passed and saw boys that looked emaciated, cold, and dejected. He once again determined that he would not become one of those boys, hopeless and beaten, no matter what they did to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to Wapomeo Huntress, rellimmes, and autumnamberleaves for your great reviews! It definitely keeps me going :)

This chapter goes back to current age Jack who is sitting in the alley having just watched David run off.

* * *

Jack came out of his reverie when he heard footsteps pounding down the street. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was to come. He wasn't so worried about going back to The Refuge. He had survived that before and knew he could again, though he couldn't say he was happy about going back. No, what he was preparing himself for was all the disappointment he was going to have to face from all the guys who were depending on him.

"There he is!" A cop yelled and started down the alley. A couple other cops followed him quickly with warden Snyder just behind them. "Stay right there, boy. Don't even think about trying to run again."

Jack laughed at that, "What does it look like I am doing?" He continued sitting and waited for them to get to him.

"Lay down on your face and put your hands behind your head," one of the cops yelled.

"What, you afraid of one defenseless boy?" Jack chuckled but then decided it would be best to go along with what they wanted and he laid face down in the alley. He grunted as someone placed their knee in the middle of his back. His arms were roughly grabbed and tightly cuffed and then he was hauled to his feet.

"Don't tell me you missed me, Sullivan," Snyder said as he punched Jack in the stomach.

Jack grunted and let out a slight groan. " You better believe it, Warden." Jack smirked at Snyder just before receiving another fist in his gut.

"You better keep that smart mouth of yours closed, boy. I'm not in the mood to put up with any more of your antics tonight." Snyder then started walking out of the alley. Two of the cops each grabbed an arm and started dragging Jack along behind Snyder. The cuffs dug painfully into his wrists, and Jack tried to think about Sarah and his reasons for doing this.

* * *

When they arrived at The Refuge, Jack's resolve began to fade. He could see the dejected faces of boys peaking out of some of the windows. He knew they had been expecting him to escape by now and their belief in his "invincibility" was greatly shaken. He was sorry to disappoint them, especially since he knew that was what they held onto while trying to survive this place. Even though they couldn't escape, it gave them hope knowing that Jack Kelly was able to beat the system and knowing that he cared for them and would come back to give them food or encouragement or even sometimes break them out too. As much as Jack hated to take that away from them, he had to protect David's family.

With head hanging down, Jack allowed himself to be drug inside The Refuge and into the warden's office. He stood there silently as the handcuffs were removed and just rubbed his wrists while the cops said goodbye to Snyder and walked out.

"Well, Sullivan, you looking forward to sleeping in your old room? I've kept it open for you." Snyder sneered at him. "Also, I have a surprise for you. You are obviously a flight risk so I had these purchased for you." Snyder walked behind his desk and pulled out a pair of leg irons. Jack just looked on, too tired to fight what was happening. "What, no smart remarks?"

"No, sir." Jack continued to look at the ground. Snyder looked surprised but very pleased. He was beginning to realize that Jack had given up. He walked back towards Jack with the leg irons in hand. "Spread your legs," Snyder prompted as he bent down and tapped Jack's legs. Jack shuffled a little so the warden could get a better angle at his legs. He felt the cold, heavy iron snap around his ankles, and even through he wasn't planning on running, that feeling seemed to bring his spirits even lower.

Snyder took Jack's arm and started directing him towards solitary. Jack shuffled along, finding it difficult to keep up with his legs in restraints. They arrived at the solitary confinement cell in which Jack had spent so much time in the past. Snyder opened the door and gave him a shove which caused Jack to fall into the cell. "Sleep well," Snyder chuckled and then slammed the door shut, and Jack heard the bolt slide into place.

He got up off the floor and sat down on the cement bench which was meant for his bed. He was cold, hungry, and miserable. Even thinking about Sarah and his reasons for doing this wasn't helping. He laid back on the bench, closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to his first visit to this cell...


	4. Chapter 4

We are once again with age 12 Jack who has just been placed in his solitary confinement cell for his first night at The Refuge.

!****************************!

Jack looked around his cell. As the guard had promised, the bed was dry, but that was about the only thing going for it. It was rather cold, the bed was just a bench made of cement with no pillow or blanket, and there was only a small, barred window near the ceiling which provided a little light. He couldn't complain though. If he had still been on the streets he would be searching for a place to sleep with only his empty stomach to keep him company, and if he was lucky, a cardboard box for shelter. Now that he thought about it, he still only had an empty stomach for company. He hoped that being in solitary didn't mean he didn't get any supper...

As Jack was contemplating his new surroundings, the warden Snyder was trying to figure out who this boy Jack Kelly was. The guard had neglected to get any information from the officer who had delivered Jack to them, and the only paperwork that eventually arrived from the courthouse was for a Francis Sullivan. He finally sent the guard over to the courthouse to get the paperwork only to find out that Jack Kelly and Francis Sullivan were one and the same. With a grunt of frustration he made a note to have Sullivan's sentence extended for three months and then called for his dinner.

A small boy hurried into the warden's office with a tray of food. He kept his eyes lowered and quickly placed the tray on the desk before turning around and walking out of the office. Let out a big breath when he safely made it out of the office without incident. He walked toward the cafeteria, slightly shivering as he passed a couple of the solitary cells. He was almost to the end of the hallway when he thought he heard a noise coming from one of the cells. He was sure that Eric got let out this morning, and he hadn't heard of anyone else getting thrown in there. Against his better judgment, he walked back to the cell from which he thought the noise had come.

Jack heard a small sound of scraping metal and looked up at the door. He saw a small hole in the middle of the door and then that hole was filled with a pair of eyes peering up at him. "Who are you?" the boy asked.

"The name's Jack Kelly. Who are you?"

"Most people call me Speedy," the boy whispered.

"Well, Speedy, you don't happen to have any food on ya do you? I haven't eaten for a few days and I never got a chance to eat the bread I stole..." Jack tried to make sure he didn't sound too pitiful, he didn't want to risk setting the wrong first impression.

Speedy snorted quietly, "Yeah right. Even if I had some I wouldn't give any to you. If I got caught I would get a week in solitary, if I was lucky. I shouldn't even be talking to you! I was just curious." With that, Speedy was gone and the hole in the door was closed again.

Jack laid down on the "bed" and closed his eyes. He tried to forget his empty stomach and thought about what his next plan of attach was going to be. It was a lot easier to determine to not give in when he was full of adrenaline and facing those who were out to get him, but laying here in the dark and cold it was a lot more difficult. Then he remembered what those boys had looked like in the rooms he had passed and he realized that he would die before he allowed himself to turn into that.

* * *

After a fitful night of sleep, Jack woke up even hungrier but even more determined to not let the warden get the best of him. That determination was going to be put to the test very soon.

"On your knees with your hands behind your head!" Jack jumped when he heard the warden bark that order and looked around. Somehow he hadn't heard the warden opening the little window in the door.

"Make me!" Jack yelled back with a sneer. His stomach clenched a bit as he wondered what was going to happen to him, but he had to put on a strong front. "I prefer to stay on this cozy bed," he continued with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

The door flew open with a bang and the warden stormed in. "You will learn your place, boy! I am not putting up with your insolence any longer. I thought a night to reflect on your situation might make you a bit more agreeable, but it appears to have only made you more obstinate. I was planning on letting you stew in here a few more days, but I have a feeling that won't make much of an impact on you." With that, the warden grabbed Jack's arm in a tight grip, twisted it roughly behind him, and hauled him off the bench.

"Oh, and I was just starting to enjoy my stay here." Jack try not to squirm as his arm was twisted even harder and he was shoved towards the door.

"Get moving. We are going to my office to find something that might make a bigger impact on you." Warden Snyder sounded almost pleased with what was happening. With a swallow, Jack began to worry about what the warden had planned for him now.

When they arrived at the warden's office, Jack was pulled to a stop. "Oh, and another thing, _Sullivan_, I do not take kindly to boys who lie to me. Because you are new here and not accustomed to my rules, I will give you a break: If you apologize now and beg forgiveness, I will forget your untruthfulness. If you instead choose to continue with your current attitude, you will not only be punished for your current insolence, but you will also receive a harsh punishment for lying to me last night about your name."

Jack took a deep breath. Here was his final chance to take the easy road. Whatever he decided now, there would be no going back. He could either beg for forgiveness and hope to stay out of the warden's way for the rest of his stay, or he could take a stand and not allow himself to be broken...


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Sorry for the delay in posting this next chapter... Hopefully I will be able to post a little more frequently after this.

Thank you Wapomeo Huntress for your support and your encouraging reviews!

Thank you to rellimmes also for your great reviews and your constructive criticism. You brought up a good question which I will try to answer in the next couple of chapters. Until then please remember that Jack is young and doesn't have much experience caring for other people ;)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Newsies characters or anything else affiliated with the Newsies. I am only writing this for my own pleasure (and hopefully a few others...)

**Warnings: **This chapter does include some child abuse, nothing sexual though...

* * *

Jack took a deep breath as the warden angrily shoved him into the office. "You are seriously going to regret your insolence, Sullivan," Warden Snyder sneered. Jack ignored his racing heart as he put on a mask of indifference. He knew the only way to win this was to keep from showing any signs of weakness.

The warden finally let go of Jack's arm and then told him to take his shirt off, bend over, and grab the edge of the desk. Jack did as he was told, but made sure to smirk at the warden so it appeared that he was only following orders because he wasn't afraid of what the warden could do to him. He kept the smirk on his face even as he watched the warden walk around the desk, grab a cane, and walk back around to stand behind him.

Without warning, Jack felt a sharp pain as the cane hit his back. He let out a slight grunt, but managed to keep quiet as the next few blows fell. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the desk, trying to keep himself from flinching away from the lash of the cane. After about 20 blows, the warden stopped swinging and Jack let out the breath he realized he was holding.

"You're not done already, are you Warden?" Jack asked, trying to keep his tremors from reaching his voice.

"Oh no, boy, that was just for lying to me about your name last night. I have yet to punish you for this insolent attitude you have had from the moment you got here. You better make sure you have a good grip on that desk 'cause I am just getting started." Warden Snyder seemed to be almost cheerful as he prepared to resume Jack's beating.

Jack's heart sank. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle before giving in and allowing the warden to see his pain.

* * *

A little while later a much more subdued Jack walked out of the warden's office. He was not sure how many more blows he had suffered as he had lost count somewhere around 25. It was enough that even the slight pressure of his thin shirt brought a grimace to Jack's face. However, he had remained strong and only allowed a few yelps to escape him towards the end of the beating.

Jack definitely didn't feel that he came out of that encounter ahead, but he was quite pleased with himself that he hadn't completely given in either. He was also quite excited that he was currently being lead to the cafeteria where he would hopefully be getting his first bite of food in over three days. At this point, he couldn't have cared less what he was served, he just needed something in his stomach.

When the warden and Jack arrived in the cafeteria, Jack saw about twenty boys sitting around tables, silently eating. He wondered which one was Speedy, but made sure he didn't appear too curious for fear the warden would begin asking questions. A guard standing near the door guided him to an open seat at one of the tables and a bowl of gruel was placed in front of him. He figured he should make some smart comment to keep up his reputation, but he was so hungry he couldn't risk having the food taken away from him. And honestly, he was in too much pain to risk another beating so soon.

As Jack ate his gruel (which was cold and of a slimy consistency), he glanced around at the other boys near him. He noticed that although they kept their heads lowered, their eyes were very active. Most of them seemed to be staring at him. Jack kept his head up and tried to meet the eyes of as many of the boys as he could. He wanted them to see that he wasn't afraid of anything and that he was not going to be intimidated easily.

All of the sudden he heard a guard yell, "Up!" and all of the boys shot out of their seats and stood stiffly. Jack quickly ate his last bite of food and then stood up as well. A guard came up behind him and slapped the back of his head, "You better move faster next time, boy" he growled at Jack and then yelled to the group, "Hands behind your head and MOVE!" Quickly, of the boys did as directed and began filing out of the cafeteria. Following their lead, Jack did as instructed and shortly they arrived at the dormitory.

Each of the boys quickly found their beds and stood at attention. Jack looked around and noticed that there were only eight bunk beds so some of them had three boys standing next to them. He wondered where he was going to sleep when another guard walked in, shoved a thin mat at him, and pointed too a bed nearby which only had two boys in front of it, "Go put your mat under that bed, you will be sleeping there." With that, the guards walked out and slammed the door shut behind them.

As soon as the door had shut, the boys broke formation and circled around Jack. They began asking him questions and he slowly began to tell them some about himself. He told them he got caught steeling (he didn't say it was just a small loaf of bread) and he said he had gotten three months. Some of them were rather impressed that he had managed to not only have already spent a night in solitary but had received two beatings as well before he had even been at The Refuge two nights.

* * *

The boys were left to themselves for most of the day except for a short trip to the cafeteria for another bowl of gruel late in the day. That evening, Jack was surprised to find himself near the front of the line with some of the older boys who were obvious leaders. He figured his mask of indifference appeared as strength to the boys, but he hadn't expected them to start following him so soon.

When they arrived back in the dormitory, the boys were instructed it was lights out and were left to climb into bed in the dark. As Jack laid on his stomach underneath his designated bunk, he could hear an occasional whimper coming from one of the younger boys. He was almost tempted to do the same as his back was on fire and his mind wouldn't stop going over the horrible events of the past couple of days, but he knew that he could never allow himself even that small release.

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who is reading and enjoying this story! Please let me know if there are any questions you want answered or anything you want to see. I am planning on going back to current age Jack in the next chapter, but I am happy to receive suggestions for either time segment of the story!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Thank you to my new beta reader rellimmes for your help on this chapter! And thank you to Wapomeo Huntress for you constant support; I plan to incorporate at least one of your ideas somewhere in the next couple of chapters. I hope all of you reading this are enjoying this as much as I am! If you wanted to take a minute to review and let me know what you think, it would be greatly appreciated!

We are now coming back to join the current age Jack whom we had left in chapter 3 lying in his cell.

* * *

Jack was brought out of his reverie by a whisper coming from outside the door of his cell. "Jacky Boy, you in there?" Jack recognized the voice of Crutchy coming through the small opening in the middle of the door.

"Hey Crutchy, how ya doin?" Jack asked, though his voice sounded tired and without much life. He finally rolled over on the bench and looked at Crutchy's eyes peering through the little window.

"I would be doin better if I knew you was outa this dump! What are ya doin back here? I thought Davey was gonna help you escape tonight." Crutchy sounded disappointed and like he was a bit angry at David for not following through.

"He did, Crutchy." Jack sounded even more discouraged having to admit this. "But I made him leave me and let the warden catch me again."

"Why would ya do a thing like that, Jack?" Crutchy's voice broke as it started to sink in that his leader and friend had given up on them. "We need ya, Jacky Boy, all the newsies need ya to win the strike! And you were what was keepin all of us goin in this dump! How could ya do this to us? How could ya give up on us?" By this point Crutchy didn't seem too concerned about the warden hearing him and was practically yelling at Jack.

At this, all of Jack's anger and frustration rose to the surface and he sat up, "What, you think I wanna be here? You think I like this place? I know more than any of you the rotten things that go on here. But I had to come back anyways. I had to do it to protect Davey's family. All of you have survived without me before and you can do it again, but Davey and Sarah and Les wouldn't survive a visit to The Refuge, and I have to do everything in my power to keep them out of it. Even if it means giving up on the strike, and disappointing the boys here, and surrendering to Snyder."

Jack laid back down on the bench and turned so that his back was to Crutchy. "You had better get movin as Snyder's probably comin to find out what all this noise is about."

Crutchy turned to leave, but then came back to the door, "Here is some bread I swiped off the warden's plate for ya." He reached through the window and offered Jack a small roll.

"Give it to the boys. I'm sure they need it more than I do." Jack heard Crutchy close the window on the door and then limp away. He knew he had disappointed and probably hurt his friend, but he wasn't sure he cared anymore. Actually, he knew he did care... he cared about all of the boys that looked up to him, but he didn't think he could care anymore.

Jack was exhausted. The strike had taken a lot out of him. Each day had gotten harder and harder. He knew that it would never have started if he hadn't pushed the other newsies to do it. The knowledge that it was because of him that they were going without food, and some of them even without shelter, weighed heavily on him. He wasn't used to thinking about or caring for anyone other than himself, and being the leader of a strike was a lot of responsibility that he wasn't prepared for. He tried to help as many of them as he could, but really he didn't have much himself. If it weren't for David's family, he probably wouldn't have been able to get food for himself either.

Although he had been quite adamant with Crutchy about how far he was willing to go to protect David's family, Jack was really quite scared. He had no idea how to protect them other than to do everything Pullitzer and Snyder ordered him to do and hope they didn't go ahead and arrest David or his family anyways. When it was just himself trying to hide from Snyder and the cops, it was doable though not always easy. But he couldn't expect David's whole family to just leave their apartment and live off the streets, constantly moving from place to place so they couldn't be found.

The more he thought about it, the more confident he felt that he had made the right decision when he had allowed Snyder to capture him again. He figured that David's family was better off without him around anyways. He wouldn't be constantly placing Les in danger and the family wouldn't have to constantly stretch their food to the limits trying to feed him. With David's father out of work and now with the strike, the family didn't have much money at all, and he knew that it was hard enough for them to get enough food without always feeding him too.

As Jack tried to fall asleep, the thought of Santa Fe came to mind. He realized he hadn't thought about it since the beginning of the strike. He wished that he could leave all of this worry and responsibility behind him and escape to Santa Fe, but running away would just put everyone in danger again. And then he remembered Pulitzer's offer from earlier that night. If he became a scab and worked for Pulitzer until the strike was over, he would have enough money to go to Santa Fe and start a new life.

Jack tried to push those thoughts away, but the offer just seemed to become more and more enticing. He reasoned that it was really David's words and ideas that had rallied the newsies and kept the strike going. He knew that he could count on Racetrack to help David. Spot would probably step up as leader and Jack figured the boys would willing follow him. It might become a bit more violent of a strike, but David would hopefully be able to talk some sense into Spot.

Jack got excited as he thought about it more. He had almost convinced himself to accept the deal in the morning when he thought about facing the newsies when they saw him coming out with his stack of papes. His heart sunk. They would be devastated and they wouldn't understand. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing their disappointment in him. It had been hard enough seeing it on the faces of the boys here at The Refuge and hearing it in Crutchy's voice.

The fact of the matter was, he was quite scared about giving into Snyder. It terrified him to think of willingly staying in The Refuge for the next three years. Not only that, but if he gave in to Snyder, he knew his spirit would be broken. He would become just like those boys he had seen his first night in the refuge all those years ago. He would become exactly what he had promised himself he would never be: hopeless and beaten.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Sorry for the very long delay in posting this next chapter... I am hoping to get on a more regular schedule of posting now!

Thank you SugarBubbleGum for your great review! Hopefully you continue to enjoy the story :)

Thank you to rellimmes for being my beta and helping me make sure my story is still flowing!

Also, a few of you have asked to see Jack get in a fight. I didn't get that fit into this chapter but it is definitely in my plans for my next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Newsies characters or anything else affiliated with the Newsies. I am only writing this for my own pleasure (and hopefully a few others...)

**Warnings:** This chapter contains abuse. I don't wish to offend anyone so if you find that offensive, please refrain from reading this chapter.

Jack woke up the next morning as it was just starting to get light out. His body ached from lying on the hard cement slab all night and his stomach started growling with hunger. He sat up and the clanking of the chains on his leg irons sent his spirits even lower. How was he supposed to survive this for three years? In the daylight he was even more sure he couldn't give in. It was better to stay in The Refuge for three years and keep fighting than to basically sell his spirit to gain his dream. Jack knew that if he was to give in, he would never be able to enjoy going to Santa Fe. That didn't make his decision to remain in The Refuge any easier.

Half an hour later, the little window in the door was opened and Jack heard a guard yell, "Sullivan, breakfast!" Jack shuffled over to the door, trying not to let the leg irons trip him up. He reached his hands through the window and grabbed onto the cup and hard roll that were placed in his hands. He pulled his hands back and walked back to the cement bench as he heard the window being slammed closed. The cup of water was only half full and the roll was small, hard, and slightly moldy, but Jack was grateful to have even this. He knew that being in solitary meant that food and water could be withheld.

After he had eaten, Jack laid back down on the bench. He was hoping to fall asleep again so he could get his mind off his situation for a little while. Apparently he did manage to fall asleep at some point because he found himself jerking awake to a slap in the face. His eyes popped open and he quickly sat up when he saw Snyder standing by the bench sneering down at him.

"Good, you're awake now," Snyder chuckled at him. "It is time for you to receive your punishment for running away."

Jack felt the blood drain from his face. He had hoped the leg irons were punishment enough, especially since he had given himself up without a fight. He should have known better.

"Stand up, shirt off." Snyder glared at him when Jack didn't appear to be moving. "Do I need to call a guard in here?" Snyder asked threateningly.

Jack swallowed and shook his head. He knew it would be a much worse beating if someone else had to get involved. He stood up and took his shirt off, hoping Snyder didn't notice the slight tremble in his hands. Hoping to gain some confidence back, he glared at the warden as he stood, shirtless, waiting for the next order.

"Turn around, bend over, and place your hands on the bench" Snyder barked.

Closing his eyes and wishing to be anywhere else at the moment, Jack did as he was ordered. His stomach sank when he heard the sounds of the warden pulling his belt out. Of all the things Snyder had used on him before, this was the worst. He held his breath and waited for the beating to begin. He didn't have to wait long before he heard the distinctive whistle of the belt and felt it slam into his back. The belt buckle bit into his back between his shoulder blades and he let out a loud gasp. The next lash came quickly before he had regained his breath, and he let out a yelp as the buckle hit his ribs.

Soon Snyder had gotten into a rhythm of hard and fast crisscrossing lashes. With each one the buckle bit painfully into his back as Jack let out a strangled cry. After a minute, Jack's cries became more desperate. He could no longer keep himself still and began twisting and turning, trying to escape the next lash.

Jack realized the beating had stopped and he took a deep breath. His body was shaking from the pain and the effort it took to stay in place, and his lip was bleeding where he had bit it to keep from screaming in pain. He began to stand up but stopped when he heard Snyder order him to stay put.

"Oh no you don't! You don't think you're getting off that easy do you?"

Before Jack could stop himself, he said "What, ya think that were easy?" He immediately cringed and silently berated himself for being so stupid. The two lashes which quickly struck his back were painful but not unexpected.

"If I were you, I would keep such comments to myself. You are in enough trouble as it is." Snyder accented his statement with a powerful lash of the belt. "Now, that was only 25. We are halfway done. However, you seem to be having difficulties holding still so we are going to finish this in my office. Stand up and put your hands behind your back."

As Jack slowly stood up, he felt the cold metal of handcuffs being snapped around his wrists. He gave a slight hiss as a tug on his arm aggravated the wounds on his back and ribs. Snyder led him out of the cell and down the hallway towards the office. Jack kept his head down and slowly shuffled along beside him. As they passed the dormitories, he could feel the boys' eyes on him. He knew he should try to show some confidence and defiance to help give the boys some hope, but he just didn't have the strength to it. It was all he could do to keep himself together and he didn't have any more energy to put into caring about anyone else. He knew he was dangerously close to despair, but on his way to another beating he just couldn't force himself to do anything about it.

When they arrived in the warden's office, Jack was directed to bend over the desk. He did as directed and laid his bare torso across the top of the desk with his hands still cuffed behind him. He laid there uncomfortably for a minute while he listened to Snyder digging around in a closet behind him. All the sudden, he felt something being attached to the chain between his legs and then felt it being pulled underneath the desk, across to the other side. The warden then unlocked one of the cuffs around his wrist and pulled his arms roughly above his head before once again closing the cuff around his wrist.

All of this happened so fast, that Jack didn't even understand what was going on until both the thing attached to his leg irons and his wrists were pulled tight at the same time and something was clasped to his handcuffs. Before he knew it, Jack had been pulled tight across the desk with his hands attached to his ankles via a long chain going under the desk. He grunted in pain as the warden did something which pulled his body even tighter across the desk.

"There, now you shouldn't have any more problems holding still while I finish your beating." With that, Snyder grabbed the belt again quickly resumed the beating. The second lash that landed on Jack's back hit the exact spot of a previous lash and Jack couldn't help but scream in pain.

When the beating finally ended, Jack was lying limply across the desk. He groaned when the warden loosened the chain that was keeping him tight across the desk and the muscles in his arms and legs started to spasm. His back was on fire and his ribs were severely bruised. It was also apparent that there were some deep gashes on his back as he could feel a wet liquid dripping down it which he could only assume was blood.

"That should teach you to try to run away from me any more, Sullivan. Now, let's get you back into your cell. You have a special guest coming to visit you this afternoon and you had better be prepared to listen to what he wants to tell you." With that the warden grabbed Jack by the arm and hauled him off the desk and started pulling him out of the office. Jack groaned again and stumbled along the hallway back towards his cell. He wondered idly who his guest would be. Hopefully he would get a chance to sleep for a few hours before his guest arrived otherwise he wasn't sure how he would be able to carry on a conversation with anyone.

When they arrived at the solitary cell, the warden unlocked the handcuffs and shoved him into the cell. Jack hobbled over to the cement bench as the door to the cell was slammed closed behind him. He carefully laid himself down on his stomach and fell asleep minutes later.

!-!

Jack woke up to the sound of his cell door opening. He went to sit up but gasped in pain as he was suddenly reminded of his beating from earlier. Once again he tried to sit up but went much slower this time and finally made it just before the warden Snyder and Pullitzer walked into the cell.

"Good evening, Sullivan. I hear you have had some quality time with Warden Snyder today. Hopefully that put you more in the mood to listen to my proposal." Pullitzer chuckled slightly as he took in Jack's pale face and bowed head. "I can tell you don't feel much up to talking right now so I will keep this short. I have decided that just having you off the streets is not going to end the strike as soon as I would like. In light of that, I have decided to again give you the opportunity to take my offer to come work for me."

Jack snapped his head up and glared at Pullitzer. He opened his mouth to tell Pullitzer exactly what he could do with his offer but was stopped when Pullitzer lifted his hand. "Now wait, Sullivan. I want you to hear the full offer before you decide. I have changed a small piece of the offer. Here's the deal, I will still give you enough money to go wherever you want with enough left over to get you on your feet. However, this time if you refuse, not only will you remain in The Refuge for the next three years, I will personally make sure that your so called friends will be joining you."

"Ya can't do that!" Jack looked incredulously at Pullitzer. "Ya said if I ran you would hunt 'em down so I came back. I did what ya asked of me! Ya can't go back on that."

"Oh, believe me, I will hunt them down if you run. However, I will now also hunt them down if you refuse my offer. I'll have you understand, I want this strike over soon and you and I both know that won't happen unless you are actively working against it. So either you come work for me or you stand by and watch as your friends are torn from their home and forced to learn firsthand what The Refuge does to a person." By this point Pullitzer was standing right in front of Jack and was yelling quite loudly. "You will have one hour to decide what your answer will be. You better hope it is the right one!"

With that last order, Pullitzer and the warden walked out of the cell and slammed the door. Jack laid back down and tried to think what he would do. Working for Pullitzer would break him, he knew that. But he didn't see how he could refuse when David's, Sarah's, and Les' lives were at stake. What was his life compared to the three of theirs? How could he be the one to allow their lives to be destroyed? And yet, how could he betray the other Newsies? They would be devastated!

Jack felt a lone tear slide out of his eye and make a silent track down his face. He had no idea how he was going to decide between his life and the lives of his new friends.

**AN:** Ok! Hope you all survived that chapter :) Please let me know what you think! I am starting work on the next chapter and am hoping to post in sometime next week. Question: has Jack suffered enough at the hands of Snyder or do you want to see more?


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed my story and are following it! It definitely keeps me going and makes me happy! And thank you to my beta rellimmes!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story.**

**Previously: **_With that last order, Pullitzer and the warden walked out of the cell and slammed the door. Jack laid back down and tried to think what he would do. Working for Pullitzer would break him, he knew that. But he didn't see how he could refuse when David's, Sarah's, and Les' lives were at stake. What was his life compared to the three of theirs? How could he be the one to allow their lives to be destroyed? And yet, how could he betray the other Newsies? They would be devastated! _

_Jack felt a lone tear slide out of his eye and make a silent track down his face. He had no idea how he was going to decide between his life and the lives of his new friends. _

* * *

When the warden and Pullitzer came back to his cell, jack had decided what his answer would be. Really, he had decided as soon as Pullitzer had made his ultimatum, it just took him a little while to come to terms with that decision. He knew he had to do every thing in his power to keep Sarah, David, and Les safe no matter the cost to himself. It would hurt the Newsies, but they were a resilient bunch and he knew they would survive. He probably wouldn't have any friends after this, but his friends' innocence was worth it.

"Well, Sullivan, I hope you have an answer for me," Pullitzer said when he entered and saw Jack sitting on the bench with his head bowed.

"Yeah, I gots an answer," Jack said dejectedly looking up at the two men who were glaring at him. "I'll go work for ya if'n ya promise ta leave my friends alone from now on. They ain't done nottin to ya and don't deserves to be hurt by the likes of ya. I'll do whateveh ya asks of me, just please leave em outa it." With that Jack nervously swallowed and looked down, knowing he had just signed his life away.

Pullitzer smiled though it just made him look like a hungry shark. "I'm glad you finally got some sense in that brain of yours. I will make the necessary arrangements and be back to collect you shortly." With that Pullitzer and the warden left the cell looking rather pleased with themselves.

* * *

Two hours later the warden walked back in the cell. "Time to go, Sullivan" he said gruffly.

Jack slowly stood up and let out a small gasp as the wounds in his back were aggravated. At the warden's direction he turned around and put his hands behind his back. He bit his lip as his hands were roughly cuffed and sharp pains shot up his back and across his ribs. He didn't know why he continued to try to put up a strong front. There was no point. He had given up everything.

The warden led him to the office where he saw Pullitzer standing by the desk. Jack just kept his head down and shuffled into the office. He didn't really care to see the gleeful look he knew would be on Pullitzer's face.

"You can take his leg irons and handcuffs off. I don't think I'll have any problem with him running away. Unless he wants to see his friends being drug into The Refuge. Isn't that right, Sullivan?"

"I promised ya I would do whateveh ya asked of me." Jack snorted, "plus I can't sell papes if ya leave me in chains."

The warden grabbed Jack's arms and unlocked the cuffs. Jack let out a sigh of relief as the strain on his arms and back was lessened. The warden then bent down and unlocked the leg irons and pulled them off Jack's ankles. Jack couldn't believe the weightlessness he felt when they were pulled off. He hadn't spent that much time in them, but it had almost felt like they were attached to his very soul. Now that they were gone he almost thought he would be able to survive this next challenge. On second thought, that look on Pullitzer's face did not bode well for him.

"I would be a bit more respectful if I were you. You step one foot out of line I will have you sent directly back here to finish out your sentence and your friends will join you." Pullitzer sneered at Jack and grabbed his arm. "We had better get going. I want you well rested for your new job tomorrow." With that Pullitzer walked out of the office, dragging Jack along with him.

"Have fun, Sullivan. I will miss our little conversations. I will happily take you back if you decide you don't want to do this." The warden chuckled as he watched Jack being drug out of his office.

When they exited The Refuge, Pullitzer shoved Jack into the coach that was waiting. A short ride later, they arrived at the printing offices for The World. Pullitzer opened the door and then pulled Jack into the building, past the printing presses and down some steps into a basement. He switched a light on and Jack looked around a little. It was filled with old printing equipment that was all covered in a deep layer of dust. Pullitzer lead Jack over to a corner of the basement that had an old cot in it.

Pullitzer took a blanket off the cot and shook it out. "You can sleep here. That way you are ready right away in the morning. Now, tomorrow you will get up and head out with the other scabs to sell papes. You will not cause any problems, get in any fights, or try to contact your friends. As soon as your papes are all sold, you will come directly back here and be given some food before sent down here again for the night. If you do anything outside of those rules, you will be caught and immediately sent back to The Refuge. I am sure Warden Snyder would enjoy continuing to teach you a lesson."

Jack just turned and sat down at the bed. "I understand" he said when he noticed Pullitzer seemed to be waiting for an answer. Pullitzer nodded and threw the blanket at him before turning around, switching the light off, and walking back up the stairs. Jack laid down on the cot and tried to go to sleep. His mind kept going to what he would have to do tomorrow. He could already see the looks of betrayal and anger that would come across his friends' faces when they see him coming out of those gates tomorrow with a stack of papes. They would probably want to soak him. Hopefully he would be able to get out of there without too much confrontation. He definitely didn't want to have to fight his friends.

He wasn't sure what he would do if they tried to fight him. As he was falling asleep, Jack thought back to his first fight. It was just a few days after he had been arrested and placed in The Refuge for the first time...

* * *

_Flashback to younger Jack - Day 3 of his first visit to The Refuge_

Jack looked around the dining hall but didn't see any other boys that would be coming to his rescue. He currently was up against the wall with another boy's hands planted on either side of him, effectively blocking him in. The boy was significantly larger than Jack, and older, though Jack couldn't remember his name at the moment. It was something like Mike or Steve or.. Anyways, his name didn't really matter at this point. All that mattered was that he was about to beat unless he could think of a way out of this.

"Ya think you're so tough dontcha, Jacky Boy?" The boy, whose name Jack couldn't remember, sneered at him.

Jack wasn't sure what this boy's problem was. He had known all day that something was bothering the kid, but he had hoped to avoid the confrontation for a few days until he could figure something out. Unfortunately this kid (his name was a little more unusual... maybe Spike...) had cornered him while Jack was doing his assigned chore of washing down tables.

"Ya think just 'cause yous survived one measly beatin from the warden ya deserves to stand with the big boys? Well, until ya can prove to me that you is more than a snivelin little brat, ya can stand wit the udda babes your size, Jacky," the boy (oh yeah, his name is Spot!) said and shoved Jack a little harder into the wall.

Jack knew if he wanted to keep his reputation up that he had started to acquire, he needed to stand up to Spot. He hadn't ever really been in fight before as he usually was quick enough to just run away, so he figured he wouldn't come out ahead. But if he at least tried to hold his own and stand up for himself that would go a long ways to proving that he wasn't a "sniveling little brat" that would give in to the slightest pressure. Plus it appeared he was going to get a beating anyways so he might as well get a few hits of his own in.

Just as Jack was thinking that, Spot backed up a little and slugged him in the stomach. Jack slid down the wall a little bit and could hardly get a breath, but he was determined to not go down that easy. He quickly stood up straight again and swung as hard as he could at Spot's face. He was a little too short and misjudged it a little so he only grazed Spot's chin, but he felt pretty good at even getting in a glancing hit.

And then all the sudden everything was blur. Jack felt a fist connect with his mouth and he was pretty sure his lip split open. A few more landed on his chest and stomach before a final one hit his left eye/cheekbone and knocked him over. Jack wasn't sure if he had managed to land any more hits to Spot's body, but he had been swinging like crazy so he hoped he had at least got in one good hit. He tried to stand up again so he could keep trying to do more damage, but then the haze slowly started to lift and he realized a guard was now in the room and had pulled Spot away. Another guard came rushing into the room and grabbed Jack roughly by the arm.

Jack wasn't sure if he or Spot had said anything to either of the guards, but suddenly he realized he was being drug out of the dining hall and towards the solitary cells. A cell door opened and he was roughly shoved inside. Just as the door was closing, he saw Spot being shoved into the cell across the hall from him. Then the door was shut and Jack was alone. As the adrenaline faded, he realized that his head was pounding, his lip burned like crazy, and he probably had some bruised ribs. Jack slowly walked over to the bench and laid down.

All in all, Jack was pretty happy with the outcome. He hadn't given up at all and had managed not to get knocked out either. Plus, he was pretty sure he had seen a nice bruise starting to form on Spot's face so he must've gotten in at least one good hit. Now all he needs to do is figure out a way to learn how to fight so next time it is a little more even...

**AN: Ok! There was the fight as promised :) Please let me know what you think! And yes, that was Spot C. that Jack was fighting! I know in the movie he was smaller than Jack, but I am just taking artistic license and assuming that at this age Spot was bigger until Jack hit a growth spurt ;)**

**Please leave me a review! I would love to know what you think of where this story is going! I think I am over halfway done with the story so please let me know if there is anything you want me to fit in before the end!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** I am so sorry once again for the very long delay in posting this next chapter... I do not plan on ever abandoning this story, but as everyone knows, sometimes real life tends to get in the way.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me and I wouldn't be able to keep going on this story without you. I especially want to thank rubyblue100 as her recent reviews are what gave me the needed kick in the pants to get this next chapter written and out there!

I also want to thank rellimmes who has been my beta in the past. I really wanted to just get this chapter posted though so it has not been reviewed by her. This means that all errors are mine. Please feel free to let me know if there is anything I need to change!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Newsies characters or anything else affiliated with the Newsies. I am only writing this for my own pleasure (and hopefully a few others...)

**Warnings: **This chapter contains abuse. I don't wish to offend anyone so if you find that offensive, please refrain from reading this chapter.

**Previously: **_All in all, Jack was pretty happy with the outcome. He hadn't given up at all and had managed not to get knocked out either. Plus, he was pretty sure he had seen a nice bruise starting to form on Spot's face so he must've gotten in at least one good hit. Now all he needs to do is figure out a way to learn how to fight so next time it is a little more even..._

Jack woke up to his body complaining about the fight with Spot he had put it through. His bottom lip was quite swollen and he seemed to have a couple of bruised ribs along with a bunch of other smaller bruises littering his abdomen and face. Sleeping on the cement slab in the solitary cell definitely hadn't helped alleviate any of the soreness either. He began to wonder how long he would have to stay in solitary this time. He hoped it wouldn't be for too long as he really wanted to talk with some of the older boys to get some tips on fighting.

About an hour later, Jack heard the door to his cell being opened. He sat up and looked towards the door. Warden Snyder walked into the cell and just stood glaring at Jack for a minute. Jack knew he probably shouldn't say anything, but he couldn't help himself. "What, cat got ya tongue? O' was it me amazin' fightin skills that got ya so speechless?" He had to say the backhanded slap that got him seeing stars wasn't unexpected.

"Well it appears you need another lesson in manners, boy. I would think that with how much trouble you are currently in, you would try a little harder to stay out of trouble. But, if that is how you want to be, I can definitely take the time to teach you better manners. Now, stand up and walk to my office." Snyder grabbed Jack's arm in a tight grip and hauled him off the bench and gave him a rough shove out the door.

When they got to the warden's office, he pushed Jack through the door and then ordered him to stand there and wait. Snyder then walked to a closet at the back of the room. He stood looking at the contents of the closet, seemingly trying to make up his mind about something. Coming to a decision, he grabbed an item from the closet and walked back towards Jack.

Jack gulped hard when he saw what Snyder had selected. It was a long, sturdy looking switch. He wasn't sure he could keep his composure through a beating with that, especially with how painful his back still was after his last beating. Maybe he had taken this whole obstinacy thing too far... Really, he could still remain strong without asking for beatings! But if he changed his behavior just to stay out of trouble, how was he different than any of the broken and discouraged boys that he saw cowering whenever the warden walked into a room?

With new resolve, Jack stood up straight and looked steadily into Snyder's eyes. The warden glowered at him for a minute, but when Jack didn't look away he allowed a smirk to distort his face, "I am sure your back is still reminding you of your last lesson. In light of that, I am going to give you a break and allow a different part of you body to feel my displeasure. Hold out your right hand!"

Keeping his eyes on Snyder's and not allowing any emotion to cross his face, Jack slowly held out his hand palm up. "You will be receiving twenty strokes to each hand. Keep your hand out and your palm flat until I say you can move it. If you move it out of position, you will receive an additional two strokes." With those instructions the warden raised the switch high and brought it whistling down onto Jack's outstretched hand. WHACK!

Only allowing a slight hiss to escape his pinched lips, Jack tried to keep from showing how much pain that one stroke caused him. WHACK! WHACK! The next two strokes followed quickly and it felt like his hand was on fire. His heart dropped to his stomach when he realized he still had seventeen to go just on this hand, but his face remained expressionless as he continued to stare at the warden.

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

Jack began letting out slight gasps of pain as seven more strokes landed, but otherwise remained stoic. Snyder seemed to be getting frustrated that he wasn't getting more of a reaction from Jack. "You have ten more to receive on this hand. I want you to count each one."

WHACK! "Uhn! … One!" WHACK! WHACK! "Oh! Two... Three!" The warden seemed to be adding more power behind each stroke and Jack couldn't help the exclamations of pain that escaped. He continued to stare resolutely at the warden as he counted out the next five strokes. And then the nineteenth stroke fell. Snyder had put as much force as he could muster into it and Jack screamed in pain, dropping to his knees and cradling his hand against his chest. Slowly he got his breathing under control and stood back up on shaky legs. Willing his hand not to shake, Jack put it back into position, looked Snyder in the eye, and said, "Nine."

"You lost position so you will be receiving two additional strokes," Snyder said almost gloating. Although the next three were just as hard as the last one, Jack managed to stay in position, screaming out the count as each one landed. Snyder forced him to remain in position for an additional minute before telling him he could lower his right hand and to put his left hand out.

Before Snyder could resume the punishment, a knock sounded on the office door. Letting out an annoyed huff, the warden called out "Enter!" A guard opened the door and entered, pushing Spot in ahead of him. "Here is the boy as requested," the guard stated.

"Ah yes. Remain there while I finish dealing with this insolent boy." With that, Snyder turned back to Jack and proceeded to punish his left hand. Whether the warden was being easier on this hand or whether he gained strength from having an audience, Jack wasn't sure. Either way, he managed to get through the rest of his punishment with only a couple cries of pain.

Once the warden finished with Jack and returned the switch to the closet, he directed Spot to stand next to Jack. "You two were found fighting in the dining hall last night. I don't care who started it or what the reason was, you will both be punished as I have absolutely no tolerance for such behavior. To begin with, you will both be getting an additional two months added to your sentences. Also you are getting a week of hard labor. This means doing whatever chores are assigned to you, spending any unoccupied time in solitary, and only receiving one meal a day. Finally, since you apparently need to work out your differences, you will be spending this week handcuffed together."

Snyder smirked at the shocked look on their faces and then said, "If either of you are found fighting again, this sentence will be doubled and a public whipping every night for a week will be added to it. Guard, place them in cuffs." With that, the guard tightly locked a set of handcuffs to Jack's right wrist and Spot's left one before ushering them out the door.

!-!-!

A short while later, the two boys could be found on their hands and knees scrubbing the floor of the dining hall. Jack tried to fight back tears of pain and despair as Spot resolutely ignored him and yanked on the arm attached to his every time he tried to move. Jack grimaced and hissed in pain when his injured hands touched the scalding water. It ignited the burning in his hands and even slight pressure caused excruciating pain. Soon both his hands were bleeding and his wrist was rubbed raw where the cuff dug into it, but he was determined to not show any weakness.

Jack could feel Spot eyeing him as they worked and noticed that he was fighting Jack's movements a lot less. He was still surprised when Spot suddenly said, "Warden Snyder sure did a numba on ya didn' he?"

Glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, Jack responded, "Yeah he did, but I'll live. A little thing like that ain't gonna break me."

"You's tougha than ya look, Jacky Boy" Spot said with what sounded like a bit of respect. They didn't talk much after that, but Jack felt a little better knowing he had gained the respect of one of the toughest boys in The Refuge.

!-!-!

Later that night as they were lying on the cold hard floor of the cell, Spot spoke up again, "Hey Jack Boy, If'n you was interested I could give ya a few pointers for ya fightin'. Now don' think this is me sayin' we is friends, 'cause we ain't. I jist want more of a challenge da next time I start poundin' on ya."

Jack smiled because he knew that was Spot's way of saying things were ok between them.

!-!-!

The next week was rough as it was full of hard work and no where near enough food. But Jack survived and he felt like he had gained the respect of most of the boys by the time the week was over.

Throughout the next couple of months, Jack slowly became a leader to all the boys. He made sure to sneak food in to whichever boy was currently in solitary. He also stood up for the younger boys, making sure they weren't being bullied and placing them at the front of every food line. There were times he even took the blame for a boy who was too weak to handle a beating from Snyder.

One night as Jack was sneaking a piece of bread into Speedy who was spending the night in solitary, Speedy asked him, "Why do ya always help us, Jack? I mean, I ain't neva done nottin for ya, and you's jist riskin' getting a beatin' from Warden Snyder."

"Well, I figures Warden Snyder is gonna beat on me anyways, so I might as well earn it by helpin' uddas. Plus, we gotta stick togedda if we wanna survive this place."

After that night Jack noticed that most of the boys seemed a bit less depressed and hopeless. And whenever he ended up in solitary, there was always a boy willing to sneak him some food (even Speedy did a couple times). Also, whenever Jack was stiff and sore from a recent beating, there always seemed to be an open bed for him so he didn't have to sleep on the floor.

Although the days in The Refuge never really got any easier, Jack was pleased that he never gave into Snyder and that he had managed to provide strength and hope to the other boys. The only discouraging fact was that every time he got in trouble with the warden, more time was added to his sentence. After two months in the Refuge, he still had ten months to go. Jack decided if he was ever getting out, he was going to have to figure out a way to escape.

**The next chapter we will be going back to current age Jack to see how he does on his first day of being a scab. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me reviews as they literally keep me going on this story! Thanks for reading! :) **


End file.
